Cabbage & Sausage Stuffed Bread

There is an empanada stand at my local farmers market that sells the most amazing Peruvian food, the Empanada Llama. The last time I was there I got the chorizo and cabbage rice and was instantly in love, the combination couldn't have been more delicious! We always get a whole bunch of goodies when we stop there for brunch. We find a picnic table among the stalls after and eat outside watching everyone buy the freshest produce around. This is what inspired me to create this homemade stuffed bread. Sweet caramelized cabbage and onions paired with luscious, fatty sausage and ooey, gooey mozzarella...can you say ahhhhmazing! The hot bread was so perfect dipped in a simple homemade pizza sauce and served with some cold beer, mmmmm!! I could have eaten a whole loaf to myself.

Its almost fall here in upstate New York and this bread is going to be on my recipe rotation for sure, alongside a hearty vegetable soup...what more could you want! Cabbage is such a humble and incredibly healthy vegetable and its very underutilized, I wanted to highlight it here because I feel that, if treated with some respect, it can be the most delicious vegetable you will ever eat...I promise even professed haters will love it! Now don't let me scare you off with the mention of homemade bread dough. My recipe is really just pizza dough so if you want go to a local pizza shop and buy some it will still be amazing; the stars of the dish are the "stuffins" anyway!

This recipe makes 2 loaves, it freezes beautifully. One loaf will serve 4.

Ingredients

1/2 my pizza dough recipe, local bought dough is also fine I would get a large to make two loaves.

1 lb pasture raised breakfast sausage, mine was bulk. If you buy links just remove the casing.

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Large organic onion, diced.

3 Cloves organic garlic, minced or grated.

1 Small head organic cabbage, stem removed and sliced like you would for cole slaw.

1 Sprig fresh organic thyme, leaves only, chopped.

Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper, for seasoning while cooking.

1/4 Cup water

1/2 Cup bench flour, for rolling out the dough.

2 Cups mozzarella cheese, shredded.

1 Egg beaten with a tiny splash of water, for an egg wash.

3 Tbsp sesame seeds

Pizza sauce for dipping, optional. (I would purchase some from a local pizza shop while getting your dough if you aren't inclined to make your own.)

Directions

Make sure your pizza dough is room temperature, leave it out for at least 2 hours prior to cooking. If it is not the dough will be very difficult to work with and won't roll out, it will keep springing back.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and saute the sausage with a tiny bit of salt and pepper, till it is browned on all sides, about 6 minutes. Remove from the pan and turn the heat down to medium. Add the olive oil and saute the cabbage, onions and garlic with the thyme and some salt and pepper till they are caramelized and browned, adding water as needed if the pan gets too dry, about 15-18 minutes. Cover the pan while cooking, but remove when you add water to let it cook off. Add the sausage back into the pan and cook for 2 more minutes just to combine the flavors. Remove from heat and set aside.

Flour a work surface and roll out half your dough into a large rectangle, I don't measure, its homemade it doesn't have to be perfect. Sprinkle your dough with some salt and pepper evenly, about 1 tsp each (I like salt so use less or none if you want).

Spread out half of your meat and cabbage mixture onto the dough leaving a border all around on all 4 sides. Spread out one cup of the mozzarella cheese over top of this.

Brush the border with the egg wash. Starting with the long side, roll up the dough like a jelly roll using your fingers to hold in the stuffing and roll as tightly as possible. Tuck the ends under and place, seam side down on a pizza stone or oiled cookie sheet.

Brush the whole thing with egg wash and sprinkle with half the sesame seeds. Repeat the whole process with the other dough and bake both in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until they are golden brown. Remove them from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before cutting, if you cut right away your stuffing will just fall out all over the place, it needs time to cool and set.

Slice thickly, about 1 1/2 inches each and serve with any dipping sauce you like: spicy marinara, tomato soup or a homemade garlic butter would be wonderful!

Mediterranean Succotash

Its local sweet corn season here in upstate New York and its one of my most favorite summer vegetables! I love to put it in just about everything because it goes by so quickly and there is nothing that compares to fresh, sweet, corn on the cob! This particular recipe is the fourth recipe in my vintage recipe remake collection, and comes from the Young Republic era of American cookery. This cookbook focuses on how traditional american dishes were born as we further gained our independence from Britain. We as a country began moving away from European influences in our cooking and started to make and define the "American cuisine." Succotash is an old fashion side dish that was introduced to the American colonists by the Native Americans, who also introduced us to corn. The dish is now found all over the United States consisting of corn, of course, and whatever beans or vegetables are native to the area where it is being made. My version of succotash is influenced by the flavors of the Mediterranean; it contains marinated white beans that are creamy and incredibly tangy and they go so well with the crunchy and intensely sweet corn. Divina is a Mediterranean food company in NYC and I just love all of their products, especially the giant white beans. The come in an incredible vinaigrette so there is no need to add much else to the succotash in way of seasoning, they are perfect! Local pasture raised bacon, some spring onions, fresh herbs and a squeeze of lemon completed and modernized the dish. The resulting combination was sweet, savory, tangy and salty; about the most perfect bite your taste buds could imagine. I served the vibrant succotash with an herb stuffed roasted chicken breast, it was amazing!

This recipe serves 4-6.

Ingredients

6 Ears fresh, local sweet corn

1 Cup Divina giant white beans in marinade, regular white cannellini beans can be used.*

4 Slices pasture raised bacon, chopped.

2 Organic spring onions, chopped, they are young
and sweet, 4 large shallots can be substituted.

1 Sprig fresh, organic rosemary, leaves only.

1 Sprig fresh, organic thyme, leaves only.

6 Fresh, organic basil leaves

10 fresh, organic chives

1 Sprig fresh, organic oregano, leaves only.

Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste.

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 Organic lemon, zested and juiced.

Directions

Heat a grill to very high heat, we use charcoal so I don't know the exact temperature but you want to be able to char the corn.

Clean the corn, pull back the husk but don't remove it completely. Clean off all the silk and then pull the husk back up over the corncob. Repeat with all the cobs.

Cook them on the grill over high heat till they are charred on all sides, about 4 minutes a side. Remove from heat and allow to cool.


While the corn is cooling, cook the bacon in a skillet over medium high heat till crispy. Remove from the pan and set aside. In the same skillet, turn down the heat to medium and cook the onion just till soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and mix the onion, bacon and beans in a large dish.


Place the herbs, a pinch of sea salt, pepper and the lemon zest in a food processor (not the juice). Pulse a few times to chop. Add in the olive oil and pulse a few more times to create a paste. Add to the bean, bacon and onion mixture.

After the corn has cooled so that you can work with it chop off the kernels. I do this by putting it on the center of a bundt pan and cutting down the sides with a very sharp knife, the kernels will fall into the bundt pan and not fly all over your kitchen. If you don't have a bundt pan you will just have to chop them off very carefully. Add the kernels to the bean mixture and stir well to combine it all. Add the lemon juice to the dish and taste for seasoning, add salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve with any of your favorite grilled meats and enjoy! This dish is great hot or cold, we ate it at room temperature.

*I buy my Divina beans at my local grocery store, I have also ordered them in bulk from Amazon because I love them so much. If you do not want to order them then you can use cannellini beans and just add 1 Tbsp of white wine vinegar and 2 Tbsp of extra virgin olive oil to your succotash to mimic the marinade on the beans.

Bangers & Mash with Summer Squash & Onion Gravy

I am re-reading The Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon and I absolutely love them. Its historical fiction focusing on a Scottish hero in the 17-1800's and its amazing. The books are about 1,000 pages long and they are full of rich Scottish, English and American history. They talk a lot about the food they eat and I was salivating one night while they were eating bangers and mash. I am not super familiar with English food and I have never eaten bangers and mash. I did some research and its pan seared sausage, usually pork served with mashed potatoes and a pan gravy, stick to your ribs, comfort food at its best. I chose to use a locally made jalapeno and cheddar pork sausage, its spicy and creamy inside and when pan seared, probably the most amazing combination ever. Local new potatoes, which are red skinned and wonderfully creamy make the most homey mashed potatoes ever. I don't bother peeling them I just boil and mash with milk, some sharp gouda cheese and lots of butter and sea salt. I am not a great gravy maker, pan gravy is one of the easiest sauces to make, you pour in some liquid after browning your meat and veggies, make a roux and season, voila you have gravy! I chose to use spring onions and "golden egg" summer squash in the gravy. I browned them in the meat drippings and they added a wonderful, fresh flavor to the dish. I would have to say that this is now my most favorite comfort food dish, it was amazing. Make up a large batch and freeze, super easy to warm up on a weeknight when you don't feel like cooking.

This recipe serves 4-6.

Ingredients

2-4 Large, pasture raised, pork sausage links, mine were jalapeno cheddar.

2 Tbsp pasture raised bacon fat, butter or olive oil can be used.

1/3 Cup pasture raised or organic beef stock, preferably homemade.

6 Large, organic new potatoes, chopped, any potato can be used.

1/2 Cup gouda, mine was young and sharp.

2 Tbsp pasture raised butter

1/4 Cup pasture raised whole milk

2 Organic "golden egg" squash, sliced, summer squash or zucchini can be used.

1 Large or 2 medium organic spring onions, sliced.

2 Cloves organic garlic, minced or grated.

1 Cup pasture raised or organic beef stock, preferably homemade.

1/4 Cup balsamic vinegar

1 fresh, organic bay leaf

1 Tbsp pasture raised butter, room temp.

1 Tbsp unbleached, organic all purpose flour

Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.

Directions

Put the potatoes in a large pot filled with cold water to boil. Cook till they are fork tender. While they are cooking heat milk and butter in a small sauce pan, just till warm. Put gouda, milk, butter and cooked potatoes in a large bowl and mash to your desired consistency, I like mine very lumpy, taste for salt and pepper and season to taste. Cover and place over a pot of simmering water to keep them warm, stir every once in a while.

In a large saute pan, over medium high heat place the 1/3 cup of beef stock and braise the sausages till the stock has cooked off, about 7 minutes. Add in the bacon fat and sear the sausages on all sides, to a deep brown. Add in more bacon fat if needed and the onions, squash and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and saute till the vegetables are soft and slightly browned. Remove the sausage and add in the rest of the beef stock, balsamic vinegar and the bay leaf. Cook for a few minutes to reduce, about 4 minutes. Stir together the room temperature butter and the flour till it looks like a paste. Add this to the saute pan and whisk till it thickens. Remove immediately from the heat, if its too thick add water or more beef stock to thin it out. Taste for seasoning and salt and pepper as needed.

To serve: put down a bed of mashed potatoes, top with gravy. Slice your sausage on a diagonal and place on top of the mashers and gravy, top with more gravy if you feel so inclined! Enjoy with an ice cold dark beer or nice red wine!

Garbanzo Cowboy Beans

This is the second recipe in my collection of vintage recipe remakes. I am taking old recipes from a collection of American cookbooks from different time periods and modernizing and updating them to make them healthier and inspire you to try them.

This cookbook contains vintage recipes during America's expansion to the West. Its filled with the influences of Spanish, Native American and campfire cooking. People during this time were exploring the Western parts of the United States in hopes of finding a cheap or free piece of land for themselves and their families. Not so surprising that they ran into the Native peoples of these areas and the culinary influences are apparent. The recipes boast bold, spicy flavors and humble, filling ingredients. This particular recipe has Spanish influences, known as frijoles charros or Cowboy beans; the beans were meant to keep a person filled during the long days that they would be on horseback or away from their homes. The recipe called for some old fashion ingredients including the juice from canned peaches as a sweetener. I imagine that sugar during this time might have been hard to come by or expensive and canned food traveled well. Besides they wouldn't have wanted to waste a single thing. I opted to use agave nectar because its a great smoky sweetener that pairs well with the bacon and cumin in the recipe. Another thing they didn't waste was leftover coffee, the recipe calls for  a small amount which helps to create a depth to the sauce and also adds to the pleasing smokiness of the dish. Using garbanzo beans not only modernized the recipe but they hold up nicely to the long cooking process and look gorgeous. They are super nutty and slightly sweet which made for an absolutely delicious stew.

For freshness I chose garlic scapes and cherry tomatoes which added great color and wonderful flavor. The tomatoes are creamy and tart while the garlic scapes are crunchy and fragrant, both worked beautifully. I fried an egg, broke the yolk over top, making the absolute perfect summer dinner. It hits all the taste buds on your tongue sweet, tangy, smoky, and salty. It was rich and satisfying, one of the best bean dishes I have ever made or eaten.

This recipe serves 6-8.
Adapted from the Westward Empire cookbook.

Ingredients

4 Slices pasture raised bacon, diced.
2 Tbsp additional bacon fat, butter can be substituted.
2 Cans (25oz) organic garbanzo beans, 4 small cans can be used. Do not drain.
1 Large, organic onion, diced.
6 Organic garlic scapes, diced.
4 Cloves organic garlic, smashed and roughly chopped.
1/3 Cup organic agave nectar
1/4 Cup organic apple cider vinegar
1/4 Cup dark, fair trade, organic, brewed coffee, I used a French Roast.
1 Organic, preferably fresh, bay leaf, dried is fine.
1 Bunch organic fresh thyme, tied in a bundle with kitchen twine.
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
1 Tbsp organic ground cumin
1 Tbsp organic ground coriander
1 Tbsp organic dried oregano
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.
1 Tbsp wild garlic mustard seeds, I foraged these out of my yard, they taste like black pepper, you can omit if you don't have them.
1 Pint organic cherry tomatoes

Directions

In a dutch oven, over medium high heat, melt the bacon fat and saute the bacon till it is just starting to crisp. Add in the onions, garlic, garlic scapes, some salt, pepper and bay leaf. Saute till the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add in the remaining ingredients, except tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat and simmer, covered for 45 minutes. Do not add any additional salt just yet, it will make your beans tough.

Take off the lid and simmer for another 15 minutes to reduce and thicken. Remove the bay leaf and thyme bundle, taste for seasoning, salt and pepper if needed, and serve!

Serving suggestions: I like to fry an egg and place it on top and douse with siracha. You could also serve as a side dish to fried chicken or a large ribeye steak would be wonderful.

Shrimp, Chicken & Sausage Gumbo over Bulgur & Couscous

This is my husband's most favorite dish, if you asked him he would say it without hesitation or thinking. I learned how to make this dish when I lived in South Carolina. I spent about 5 years of my young adult life just waiting tables at a fabulous steakhouse and laying out on the beach on my days off, I miss it sometimes. The steakhouse had some Louisiana touches all throughout the menu, and seafood gumbo was a personal favorite of mine. The broth is thick, rich and spicy almost like a gravy and it coats every morsel of meat just beautifully. Usually its served over a bed of white rice but I like to mix it up and serve it over a whole grain like bulgur wheat, whole wheat couscous or even quinoa is wonderful, and I love the texture contrast!

I love to use a combination of meats because each one offers something different to the dish. Spicy, smoked andouille sausage is a classic in the dish and I would never leave this out. It is a smoked sausage, much like kielbasa but very spicy and very rich in flavor, you can substitute kielbasa if you cannot find the andouille. I also love to use shrimp because they are a "two for one" item in this dish. What I mean by that is, I use both the shrimp and the shell for the dish. I always get the shrimp with the shells on and then I make my own shrimp broth with them. This adds quite a bit of depth to the overall broth and I love how much money you save making your own broth! Plus shellfish broth is hard to come by, I only know of one place that sells it where I live. Lastly the chicken I like because it adds great meaty, chunkiness to the soup but again "two for one;" the bones of the chicken add to the flavor of the broth and season the soup even further. I find that anything that uses bones is going to be amazing and this dish is no exception! I do want to note; making soup is all about layering flavors and to do that it takes time, quite a bit of time. This soup takes about 3 hours to make so give yourself plenty of time when making it. Its so worth it!

This recipe serves 6-7 as a main dish.
Adapted from Emeril's version of chicken and andouille sausage gumbo.

Ingredients

4 Bone-in, skin on, pasture raised chicken thighs.
4 Pasture raised chicken legs or wings.
2 tsp Paul Prudhomme red fish magic blackening seasoning, any blackening seasoning or smoky grill seasoning will work.
1 lb large, wild caught, shell-on, shrimp, devein and wash, reserve shells.
1 Cup canola oil or tasteless high heat oil.
1 Cup unbleached, organic, all purpose flour
2 Organic onions, chopped.
4 Stalks organic celery, chopped.
1 Organic green bell pepper, seeded and chopped.
4 Cloves, organic garlic, chopped.
Sea salt & fresh ground black pepper, to taste.
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
4 Links pasture raised, andouille sausage or other smoked sausage, chopped into round slices.
2 Bay leaves
10 Cups homemade shrimp stock, see recipe below, you can substitute chicken broth for this.*
1 Cup Trader Joe's 10 minute bulgur wheat
3/4 Cup whole wheat couscous
2 Cups organic chicken stock, or homemade if you have it.
Fresh organic chives, for snipping over the top.

Directions

Make sure your chicken parts are completely dry. Sprinkle the chicken parts with the blackening seasoning, salt and pepper. Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and add in the oil. When the oil is hot, add in the chicken, slowly, skin side down. Cook for a few minutes on each side till they are deeply browned. Turn down the heat to medium and remove the chicken to a plate. Add in the flour and whisk till combined and soupy.

Cook the flour and oil for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally (you will smell when you need to stir, it gets a very nutty, burnt smell). You want a deep dark, chocolate colored roux. Once you have gotten this color add in the onions, celery, green bell pepper, garlic,salt, pepper and cayenne pepper, stir to coat everything. Cook for 10 minutes or until the veggies are soft.

Add in the sausage, bay leaf, chicken parts and stock. Scrape the bottom of the pot to get all the burnt on stuff, this is flavor. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for an hour and half, uncovered.

After an hour and half turn the heat off and remove the chicken pieces. With two forks pull the meat away from the bones and shred the meat. Add the meat back to the pot with the uncooked shrimp and cover. Let sit for 10 minutes, this will cook the shrimp, gently without overcooking them. Taste soup for seasoning, you may need to add salt.

While the soup is sitting bring the chicken stock and bulgur to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and simmer, covered for 10 minutes, after 10 minutes add in the couscous and turn off the heat. Leave the pot covered for 4 minutes and then fluff with a fork.

To serve, make a bed of bulgur and couscous and ladle the soup over top. Top with chives and enjoy!

*Homemade Shrimp Stock

3 Quarts water, about 12 cups of water.
2 Organic carrots, cut in half, no need to peel.
2 Organic stalks celery, cut in half.
1 Onion, peeled, cut in half.
Reserved shrimp shells
1 tsp black peppercorns

Place all ingredients in a large stock pot. Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve liquid.
You need 10 Cups for the recipe, so if it boils down too much just add chicken stock or water to the recipe.

Cheesy Chicken, Broccoli & Whole Wheat Orzo Bake

This is one of my most favorite casseroles, its super easy, full of great ingredients and can be made pretty quickly. I usually make it when I have leftover roast chicken or rotisserie chicken that needs to be used up. The sauce is creamy and cheesy, just the way a great casserole should be. The topping is crunchy and garlicky and the whole dish is so incredibly satisfying on a cold or rainy day! I have been known to fry up an egg, throw it over top and eat it for breakfast as well, its so good.

Instead of using canned soup I like to make my own cream of chicken soup base, that way you can control what your family is eating. Canned soups are high in salt (even healthy ones) and loaded with preservatives. If you are going to go through the trouble to make a healthy meal, from scratch, for your family then you might as well do this one extra step, it literally takes 5 minutes. Once you have made your own soup base or sauce you won't ever want to go back to condensed soup again! Its a basic skill that will allow you to make all kinds of other sauces just as easily. I use Pinch of Yum's recipe for homemade cream of chicken soup, click the link to check it out and make your own. I use organic chicken broth, pasture raised whole milk and unbleached, organic flour when I make mine. Its super easy and incredibly delicious! For this recipe I use onion powder, garlic powder, sea salt and fresh ground pepper as my seasonings.

The other thing I like to make homemade are breadcrumbs, they are so incredibly easy and save you tons of money! You can season them exactly how you want and they won't contain high fructose corn syrup. A lot of bread companies add this because it browns the bread and bread crumbs nicely, not necessary! Click on: homemade bread crumbs, to get my recipe and tips on making them yourself. I buy day old bread that is on sale and make a huge batch of them and store them in the freezer, they last forever and it costs me pennies! Plus I can use whole grain or wheat bread for the added health benefits!

This recipe serves 8-10, 1/2 cup servings.

Ingredients

Thigh & leg meat of a leftover farm raised, roast chicken or rotisserie chicken, about 2 cups of dark meat, removed from the bone and chopped.
1 Bag frozen, organic broccoli, thawed and drained.
3 Pieces pasture raised Canadian bacon, cooked and chopped.
Homemade cream of chicken soup, get the recipe at Pinch of Yum, you will use all of it.*
Few Sprigs fresh, organic thyme, leaves only, chopped, about 2 Tbsp.
1 Sprig fresh, organic rosemary, leaves only, chopped, about 1 Tbsp.
1 Cup young gouda, grated, you need a "melty" one so don't buy aged.
1/2 Cup parmesan cheese, grated.
1 Tbsp dijon mustard
Sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste, about 1 tsp each.
2 1/2 Cups whole wheat orzo, cooked by the package directions, brown rice can be substituted.
1/2 Cup homemade bread crumbs, get my recipe.
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Organic cloves garlic, peeled, whole.

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl combine the first 11 ingredients, mix well to combine them all. Pour the mixture into a large baking dish, I use a glass dish and I don't grease it.

In a small bowl mix the bread crumbs and olive oil, grate the garlic into this mixture and combine till it resembles wet sand. Sprinkle it, evenly, over the casserole and bake for 30 minutes, or until its hot and bubbly and the topping is golden brown.

Remove and serve hot or at room temperature, enjoy!

Great for breakfast, lunch or dinner! I love to top it with a fried egg and Jojo's siracha!

*If you don't want to make the homemade cream of chicken soup I suggest using Pacific organic cream of chicken soup, it comes in a small cardboard container and you will need two of them for this recipe, add a half cup of milk and 1/4 cup of chicken stock to get the consistency you need, and thin it out. Cut back on the salt because this will be saltier than my recipe above.

Bacon, Blue Cheese & Fig Pizza

I really love the sweet and salty flavors of this pizza, the figs are sweet and juicy and they are made even sweeter by the salty sheep's milk cheeses and the pasture raised bacon crumbles. The flavors were so beautiful and simple. I always love pairing bacon or cheese with fruit when I make things, its such a pleasing combination. Black mission figs are soft and delicate, their flavor is like eating a cross between a plum and a melon. When you bake them it caramelizes their natural sugars and makes them even sweeter. They are perfect for white pizzas that are simply dressed with olive oil and garlic, they would get lost in a saucy pizza, the tomatoes would just overpower them. They were so perfect as the sweet component here.

I used two different sheep milk cheeses on this pizza; a locally made blue cheese and a young Spanish manchego. Both are very, very different but compliment each other beautifully. The local blue cheese is one of my very favorite cheeses, made about 40 minutes from my house in Old Chatham, NY. The Old Chatham Sheepherding company makes a variety of sheep's milk products that are insanely good and so unique. The Shaker Blue is soft, and has a sweet and sharp flavor, reminiscent of a gorgonzola. I buy it all the time and it always goes so wonderfully in all my blue cheese recipes. The young manchego I used is only aged 6 months which makes it creamier and milder than a traditional aged one. It melts beautifully and has a very pleasant buttery-nuttiness that was so wonderful on this sweet and salty pizza. You can use any mild, melting cheese here if you can't find a young manchego. Some great substitutes would be: mild white cheddar, baby Swiss or taleggio.

This recipe makes 1 medium size pizza that serves about 4.

Ingredients

1/3 of my homemade whole grain pizza dough recipe, click the link to get my recipe or use a small store bought wheat pizza dough.
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Sprig fresh, organic oregano, chopped finely.
1 Organic garlic clove, minced or grated.
1/4 Cup whole milk, grass-fed mozzarella cheese, shredded.
1/4 Cup young manchego, aged around 6 months or younger, you can read above for my recommended substitutions.
2oz Sheep's milk blue cheese, I use Shaker Blue, you can substitute gorgonzola for this, crumbled.
3 Pieces of pasture raised, pork bacon, cooked till crispy and crumbled.
4 Organic black mission figs, chopped into rounds.
Sea salt, to taste.

Directions

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.

Roll out the dough into a medium size, roundish, base. I don't worry if its perfect, doesn't affect the taste in the slightest. Place on a pizza stone or oiled baking sheet. Set aside.

In a small, microwave safe, bowl mix the olive oil, garlic and oregano. Microwave for 30 seconds to infuse the herb and garlic into the oil. Sprinkle with sea salt and spread evenly over your pizza dough as the sauce.

Sprinkle with the manchego and mozzarella cheeses. Spread the blue cheese and bacon crumbles over the pizza, evenly. Top with the fig slices.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the crust is browned evenly and the cheese is bubbly and slightly browned. Remove to a cutting board and slice into 8 even pieces.

This pizza has very delicate flavors so I do not top with the normal pizza toppings, I like to enjoy it as is!

There is nothing in the world more delicious than a great piece of pizza. If you make this and love it, let me know!

Pan Seared Pork Over Cherry & Spinach Salad

This salad is a play on a childhood favorite; pork chops with apple sauce. Instead of apples I am using dark, sweet cherries as the fruit component. The seared pork chop is locally raised, so it has the deep porky flavor that only comes from pasture raising your pork. I seasoned it with some smoked guava salt from The Meadow in Portland, Oregon. This salt was perfect on the pork and complimented the sweet notes of the salad beautifully. I continued with the salty and sweet theme by also adding some shredded rosemary manchego to the salad. The manchego is a sheep's milk cheese so its incredibly salty and sharp that combined with hints of fresh rosemary, it went so well with berries and the pork. If you have never tried putting herbs and berries together, this is a must try for you! This salad was so perfect not a taste bud was missed; sweetness from the cherries, saltiness from the smoked salt and the manchego, slight bit of floral herb notes from the rosemary, bitterness from the spinach, tang from the cherry tomatoes and unctuous fatty deliciousness from the pasture raised pork. I served it with a simple balsamic vinaigrette that was just balsamic vinegar, olive oil, a touch of honey, sea salt and fresh ground pepper. I think a guava balsamic vinaigrette would go wonderfully with this or even a maple vinaigrette that, I feel, would compliment the smoked guava salt further; I will most certainly be trying this again and following up with one of those two dressings on here!

This recipe serves 2, but you can easily double it to serve 4 or more.

Ingredients

2 Boneless, pasture raised pork chops
2 tsp smoked guava salt, sea salt can be substituted.
2 tsp fresh ground pepper
Pasture raised bacon fat, 1 Tbsp for searing, any oil can be substituted.
2 Cups organic spinach
1 Cup organic cherries, pits removed, chopped in half.
1 Cup organic cherry tomatoes, cut in half.
1/4 Cup rosemary manchego, shredded. Any sharp, salty cheese can be substituted, add a little bit of dried rosemary to your vinaigrette to keep the flavor profile of the salad the same.

Directions

Heat a large cast iron or heavy bottom skillet over medium high heat. Melt the bacon fat. Season the pork chops with the smoked salt and fresh ground pepper on both sides. Sear the pork on both sides, about 4 minutes a side. Set on a cutting board, covered in foil to rest for at least 15 minutes.

While the pork is resting assemble your salads. I like to assemble them separately on serving plates so that they look pretty and each person gets equal amounts of everything. Layer the lettuce, cherries and tomatoes onto two serving plates. Place the rested pork over top and sprinkle with the cheese, half onto each. Serve with a simple vinaigrette and enjoy!

So simple, easy & elegant! Check back for an update on the vinaigrette trials!

Katie's Bacon Potato Salad

This potato salad recipe I have been making ever since I was old enough to come up with my own spin on the things that I was reading in cookbooks, probably about the age of 12. This recipe was inspired by an old German potato salad my mom had in a very old cookbook when I was younger. This salad made a tangy and sweet, herb vinaigrette that coated the potatoes and they sort of marinated in it. The potatoes were just beautiful coated in this herb ladened dressing. I use a similar method; I create a warm bacon vinaigrette, the bacon fat being the oil component and some killer pickle juice being the vinegar. I then pour that over the warm potatoes which just soak it all up to soon become, the most wonderful potatoes you have ever eaten!  I then mix all of this with mayonnaise to create a very creamy and flavorful dressing that goes so wonderfully over the red potatoes. My favorite salads always have mayonnaise...I know, I wish I hated the stuff! I do, however, always use an olive oil based mayo so its a lot lower in fat without sacrificing taste.

The warm bacon vinaigrette

This recipe serves 4 to 6 as a side dish.

Ingredients

6 Medium size organic, red new potatoes, washed and cut into large, even chunks.
4 Pieces of pasture raised smoked bacon, cut into chunks.
1/2 A large or a whole small onion, diced
2 Whole pickles or 4 halfs, I use Brooklyn Brine Company, whisky sour pickles, diced.
1/4 Cup pickle juice
1 Heaping Tbsp dijon mustard
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.
1/2 tsp fair trade, organic, raw cane sugar
1/2 Cup olive oil mayonnaise, I use Hellman's (I am aware this is kinda naughty based on my food philosophy so feel free to substitute, I have yet to find a low fat mayo that tastes as good so I allow myself this one naughty splurge)

Directions

Place potatoes in a large stock pot filled with cold, salted water. Bring the potatoes to a boil, reduce heat and simmer till almost tender about 10 to 15 minutes, make sure not to let them get to complete fork tenderness while cooking. Drain them and cover them with a clean kitchen towel to steam for the remaining cooking time, this will ensure tender potatoes that will not fall apart when you are mixing the dressing in.

While the potatoes are cooking heat a large saute pan to medium high heat. Cook the bacon until crispy, remove from the pan, reserving the fat and lower the heat to medium. You only need about 2 Tbsp of bacon fat so if you have more drain some of it off. Cook the onions in the bacon fat till tender, about 4 minutes. Add in the pickles, pickle juice and mustard and cook till a sauce forms, about 2 minutes. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the pan when you add in the liquid so that you get up all the bacon bits. Add in salt, pepper and sugar and taste for seasoning. It will be very strong on its own, remember potatoes soak up a ton of flavor and even it out.

Put the potatoes in a large dish, while they are still warm, pour the bacon vinaigrette over the potatoes and stir to coat them all with the mixture. Mix in the mayonnaise carefully, trying not to break up the potatoes too much. Add the bacon back in and stir to combine one last time.

Refrigerate till cold, about 2 hours or leave overnight. If the mixture seems dry when left overnight mix in a bit more mayonnaise right before serving, again potatoes soak up everything!

Serve with your favorite grilled meats, this is my most favorite summertime dish!

Porky Pasta e Fagioli with Homemade Ham Broth

This is one of my most favorite soups; pasta e fagioli. It was traditionally made with just white beans and pasta at its humble beginnings. My version, however, has lots of meaty goodness in the form of pasture raised pork, ham and sausage to be exact! This makes for an incredibly hearty soup that is a great, one-pot meal any night of the week. Its super easy to whip up and you can use any combination of ingredients that you have on hand or that are your personal favorites. This recipe also uses a homemade ham broth, made from a leftover Easter ham bone and trimmings that I froze for a later use. What is more loving and delicious than a huge pot of homemade soup? Nothing in my book! My family devours this soup all week, sopping up the broth with local, brick oven Italian bread and we sometimes even fry and egg and put it over top for a pasta e fagioli breakfast...oh yes!!

There is a base recipe and sofrito (aromatic seasoning mixture) that I always follow when I make pasta e fagioli. No matter what other things I decide to change up in the soup the base is always the same. I always start with onion, garlic, carrot and some type of pasture raised pork, I call this my sofrito. The other ingredients that are always present in my pasta e fagioli or my base are white beans and pasta, of course that is what pasta e fagioli means in Italian after all. My version does not use tomatoes at all; I call it a "blonde" version because of the color. It comes out a beautifully golden and its just perfect if you ask me!

This recipe makes about 6 or 7 servings.

Ingredients

1/4 Cup good quality olive oil, for cooking
2 Links of pasture raised, hot, Italian sausage, casing removed and crumbled.
1 Pasture raised, smoked ham steak, or leftover ham from a spiral, smoked ham (2 cups), cubed.
2 Cans organic white beans, drained and rinsed, I used Divina white beans in vinaigrette* please see note on the bottom.
1/4 Cup white wine or white wine vinegar, to deglaze the pan.
2oz Your favorite small pasta, I used an organic, semolina spiral shaped noodle.
5 Organic carrots, peeled and diced
1 Large onion, peeled and diced
4 Cloves organic garlic, minced or grated.
4 to 6 Cups homemade ham broth, recipe follows, you can use chicken broth in place of this.
1 Tbsp dried, organic oregano
1 Tbsp dried, organic thyme
1 Tbsp dried, organic basil
2 Organic bay leaves, dried or fresh.
Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.
1 Parmesan rind, optional, I keep my parmesan rinds. I place them in a plastic baggie in the freezer and add them to broths or stews.

Directions

In a dutch oven or heavy bottom pan over medium high heat saute the sausage with a drizzle of the olive oil (not the whole 1/4 cup just enough to get the browning started, about 1 Tbsp). Brown on all sides, about 5 or 6 minutes and remove from pan, set aside.

Next brown the ham the same way with a bit of olive oil till browned on all sides. Remove and set aside.

Turn the heat down to medium and add in the remaining olive oil, onion, carrots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and saute till they are soft, about 5 or 6 minutes. Deglaze the pan with white wine or white wine vinegar and cook till all liquid is gone, about 2 minutes. Add in all dried herbs and bay leaves. Add in the white beans and add the meats back into the pan. Give it a stir to combine.

Pour in enough broth to cover everything, I needed about 4 cups you may need more or less depending on the size of your pan or how "soupy" you like your soup. I like mine a little more like stew so I added just enough liquid to cover everything. Put the parmesan rind in, if you are using, it will melt in. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat cover and simmer  for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes add in the pasta and 2 more cups of warm ham broth. Cook long enough for the pasta to cook, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove from heat and taste for salt and pepper. Serve my favorite way: in large bowls with a sprinkling of parmesan cheese, sprigs of fresh oregano, snips of chives and some great crusty bread for sopping!

Ham Broth

In a very large stock pot place a ham bone with about 1lb of ham meat. I used the fatty parts, the trimmings as well as some of the meat right next to the bone for my pound, it doesn't have to be exact. My ham bone and meat was smoked. I also put in 3 bunches of scallions, greens and white parts, 2 whole onions cut in half, 1 head of garlic cut in half, 3 carrots cut in half, 1 Tbsp of black peppercorns and 1/4 cup of honey, unless your ham had a glaze then omit this. There is no need to trim or peel any of the vegetables it will all get strained at the end. Cover everything with enough water so that its all submerged.

Bring everything to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for one and half hours, uncovered.

Strain everything through a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl, reserving the broth. Use immediately or place in the fridge, discard the fat from the top of the cooled broth.

This will make about 6 to 8 cups of broth.

*I used the Divina white beans in vinaigrette, they are sold in bulk and are in a very flavorful oil marinade. If you can find these or you chose to buy them online, by clicking the link, I used 2 cups of them with some of the oil. You can use more or less of the beans it won't ruin your soup, it all just depends on taste. I happen to love a very "beany" soup!

A soup like this is not the work of one man. It is the result of a constantly refined tradition. There are nearly a thousand years of history in this soup.
                                
                -Willa Cather

White Bean, Grilled Asparagus & Fried Egg Stacks with Bacon Crumbles

This was one of the best dinners I have ever made! The creamy egg yolk broke over the grilled, tender, but still crunchy, spring asparagus and gigantic, tangy white beans, made for a plate full of perfection. Every once in a while I got a burst of salty bacon which actually made me say out loud...oh yes! Seriously, one of the best and easiest dinners you will ever eat! I also snipped some fresh chives over top that I grow right in my windowsill for an occasional sharp onion bite. You could easily eat this meal for breakfast, lunch or dinner, I could eat it for all three, ha ha!

This dish was inspired by a meal we had on our honeymoon in NYC. Almond is a Mediterranean, farm-to-table restaurant that has a cute patio and wonderful food. We have been there a couple of times; when we bought my estate wedding ring and again on our honeymoon. Both times the food was fresh and the service was wonderful. On our honeymoon, we ordered an asparagus appetizer that was topped with a poached egg and drizzled with hollandaise sauce. It was creamy, crunchy and oh so perfect! All the ingredients came from within 100 miles of the restaurant and you could taste the difference. My dish omits the hollandaise and adds in some gigantic white beans that still give you that luxurious creamy texture that hollandaise has, without the fat. I also added on some crispy bacon, just a touch. This created another crispy texture and made it feel like a meal rather than a side dish or appetizer.

This recipe serves 4, but can be doubled easily.

Ingredients

1 Cup white beans in vinaigrette, I use Divina, if you don't have these or can't find them any quality white bean would work.*

1 Bunch of spring asparagus, these are the tender, small ones found in April & May.

4 Farm eggs, or organic ones if you don't have a local farm who sells eggs near you.

4 Pieces of pasture raised, pork bacon

4 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped.

1 Tbsp olive oil

Sea salt & fresh ground pepper, to taste.

Directions

Heat up a grill pan on high heat. Prepare asparagus by taking one and bending it till it breaks, they naturally break where the stalk is the most tender. Cut all the stalks to match this one. In a large bowl mix the stalks with olive oil, salt and pepper and coat them evenly. Place them, in an even layer on the grill pan. Cook for a few minutes on each side till they are slightly browned and heated through. Remove them to a plate and cover with foil.

While the asparagus is cooking heat a saute pan to high heat and cook the four pieces of bacon till crispy. Crumble and place under foil with the asparagus to stay hot.

In the same saute pan, if its one you trust not to stick lower the heat to medium and cook the four eggs for a few minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny. Salt and pepper them while they cook. I like to cover them immediately because it allows the whites to set faster. If it is not a pan you trust, take the bacon grease and put it in a nonstick pan to cook the eggs. 

To serve spoon 1/4 cup of the white beans onto each plate. Top with 1/4 of the asparagus on each plate. Top this with an egg on each and sprinkle with the bacon and chives. I like to break the yolk and let it create a sauce over everything, pure bliss! 

*If you cannot find the divina marinated beans near you or do not want to purchase them online you can make your own version, it won't taste exactly the same but will still be very delicious. Buy a very good quality white bean, and mix it in a bowl with 1/4 cup olive oil and juice of 1 lemon, season with salt and pepper to taste. This will create a very similar flavor profile to the ones I buy. 

If you see something you like, or make something you like let me know! Leave a comment below! :)